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Institute Awards Recognize Exceptional Service

Each year, the National Institute of Building Sciences recognizes individuals and organizations that have provided outstanding service to the Institute, the building community and the nation. This year, at its Annual Awards Reception and Dinner, the Institute honored Michelle Fox, PhD; Get W. Moy, PhD, PE; and Mila Kennett. More than a hundred Institute members and supporters attended the event.

The 2011 Institute Honor Award Goes to…

The Institute Honor Award goes to someone who has made an exceptional contribution to the nation and the building community. Institute Chairman Jim. W. Sealy, FAIA, presented the 2011 Honor Award to Michelle Fox, PhD, Chief Strategist for Education and Workforce Development for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Dr. Fox’s work with DOE encompasses creating the strategic direction for education and workforce development programs, especially through the integration of advanced learning technologies. In late 2009, she personally championed the establishment of a 40-person multidisciplinary team to develop a weatherization online training (WxOT) program for DOE that incorporates state-of-the-art educational practices and media techniques, including three-dimensional animation and video games. The WxOT program, now in its second year, integrates the skills of architecture, engineering and weatherization subject matter experts; instructional designers; and media producers to give DOE improved means to educate energy auditors, installers, crew chiefs and inspectors and to provide 65,000 new jobs within the building community over the next decade.

"We had to be moving simultaneously at the speed of light,” said Dr. Fox upon receiving her award. "This product is a real achievement…one of the success stories coming out of the Recovery Act.”

The 2011 Institute Member Award Goes to…

The Institute Member Award goes to a member of the Institute or affiliate council who has made a substantial contribution in support of the mission, goals and objectives of the Institute. Institute Chairman Jim. W. Sealy, FAIA, presented the 2011 Member Award to Get W. Moy, PhD, PE, Vice President at AECOM.

Dr. Moy attended the High Performance Building Council’s (HPBC) inaugural meeting and workshop, participated in the development of the Report to Congress on High Performance Buildings and, since 2008, has chaired the Council. At that time, he was the Director of Installation Requirements and Management for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). He has continued to serve as the volunteer leader of the HPBC and its Executive Committee as he transitioned his career to the private sector. Now Vice President of AECOM, Dr. Moy leads the company’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public and Technical Assistance program but remains an active leader in the HPBC.

"We all have a passion about the infrastructure of this country,” said Moy during his acceptance speech. "All the folks here, whether government or private industry,…are all about public service.”

In the past year, Dr. Moy has further exemplified his commitment to the cause of high-performance buildings with his involvement in the High Performance Based Design for the Building Envelope (HPBDE) project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Dr. Moy embraced the opportunity to become a member of the project team, participating in almost-monthly, day-long meetings. He contributed his perspective on the needs of the building owner during the development of the technical information for the report and for the Owner Performance Requirements (OPR) Tool. He also worked to ensure that the HPBDE Workshop, hosted by the HPBC Executive Committee, included the necessary organizations to get input from industry about the HPBDE Draft Report and OPR Tool. Dr. Moy is committed to identifying the standards that represent increasing levels of building performance and his dedication is apparent in his work as a volunteer leader.

The 2011 President’s Award Goes to…

The Institute President’s Award is given in recognition of extraordinary efforts to assist in advancing the mission of the Institute. Institute President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA, presented the 2011 President’s Award to Mila Kennett, Senior Program Manager in the Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division (IDD) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T).

Chairman Sealy (left) and President Green (right) enjoy a moment of levity as Ms. Mila Kennett (center), winner of the 2011 President’s Award, addresses the audience.

Ms. Kennett is responsible for the DHS S&T High Performance Resilience Program. The Program serves to improve the way buildings and infrastructure are built in the United States in order to protect the physical inventory from all hazards [including chemical, biological, radiological and explosives (CBRE); earthquakes; floods; winds; and fire] and to increase their performance to address energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

"We are aiming at achieving an all-hazards approach,” said Kennett about the program, upon accepting her award. "Our approach is holistic. We have made great progress.”

The High Performance Resilience Program has produced a wide range of publications, tools, metrics and benchmarks to promote this concept within the building industry and to provide information and tools to assist researchers, engineers, architects, industry and first responders. Such projects and tools include: the Urban Blast Tool (UBT); the Rapid Visual Screening (IRVS) for buildings, subways and tunnels; the Owners Performance Requirement Tool (OPR); the Advanced Materials Database; the Security Information Technical Exchange Database (SITE); and the Building and Infrastructure Protection Series (BIPS), a series of ten publications directed at the protection of buildings and infrastructure.

The Annual Reception and Dinner was held Wednesday, December 7, during the Institute’s 2011 Annual Meeting December 5-9 in Washington, D.C.

Earlier in the year, the Institute issued a call to industry for nominations to identify potential award recipients. An Awards Committee reviewed the submissions and selected winners from the nominees, based on how their work meets the mission, objectives and goals of the Institute.

The Awards Committee will solicit nominations for 2012 awards in late spring of 2011, with nominations due next July.